Tuesday, 12 June 2018

THBN Talk - Bale, Sansom, Naming Rights and New Kit

THBN - The magnificent new Spurs stadium taking shape

Gareth Bale

Spanish outlet and standing joke Don Balon have comically suggested that Real Madrid has now offered Tottenham Gareth Bale as a swap for Christian Eriksen to spite Barcelona and Manchester United, this after they suggested that Real Madrid has asked Gareth Bale's agent to negotiate for Mauricio Pochettino, something that was flatly denied.

Don Balon are a site who simply make up stories and are at gutter press level, the Spanish version of the Sun. They are not a credible source.

Morgan Sanson

News from France that Marseille have set their price for 23-year-old (24 in August) central midfielder Morgan Sanson. Spurs are looking at the former French Under-21 player as a replacement for Mousa Dembele.

Sanson scored 12 goals and had 3 assists in 53 games this season and has had a £26.45 million (€30m) price put on his head, coincidentally the same price we are looking to get for Dembele. The player's agent has confirmed Spurs interest.

New Stadium Naming Rights

Daniel Levy was reportedly asking £400 million (€454m) for naming rights to the new stadium. While no deal has been signed, Tottenham's position has been strengthened with a third successive season in the UEFA Champions League.

Our profile is growing. We have a new stadium, now that will be on the global stage through the Champions League and the interest that will generate. Far from having to reduce the figure we are seeking, we now are in a far stronger bargaining position.

As for the new kit, well that will probably be released when the new club shop opens in July, that would seem the most commercially viable time to do so and would help maximise exposure for the club.

Wednesday, 7 March 2018

Six of the best, New Stadium, Coaching, Trippier, NFL...

Six excellent articles well worth a read covering the life of a coach, English players now developing in the Bundesliga, a couple of articles on the new Spurs stadium and one on our tie-up with the NFL, with an article about Kieran Trippier to finish.

Good Reading

A couple of articles to start on coaching, Germany used to develop players who would then come to England, but now there seems to be a trend developing where English players are going abroad to develop their game. It is a welcome trend.

Monday, 26 February 2018

The latest the New Spurs Stadium including Daniel Levy answers and children watching the night sky for the Spurs Batlight

New Spurs Stadium

There will be some decorative tiling on the external walls of the new Spurs stadium with iconic Spurs phrases; 'Tottenham Hotspur', 'Established In 1882', 'London N17', 'The Game Is About Glory'. 'To Dare Is To Do' and 'Audere Est Facere'.

A New Spurs Stadium Tweet from Chris Cowlin who has visited the Spurs new stadium build this weekend to look at progress.

The Spurs football club shop will be the biggest football club shop in Europe. It is another demonstration that Tottenham want to grow as a club and bring in as much revenue as possible from all revenue streams.

Totthenham ticket sales do not pay for players wages,indeed they are only a fraction of the overall club income and that has to rise if Spurs are to compete financially with the top clubs and compete on wages.

It isn't going to happen overnight and we are not there yet so splurging the cash isn't an option just yet either. Just like the stadium, the club shop will have (at least we have applied to have) glass tiling and LED lighting (170 lights) built into the tiling so that the stadium glows in the dark on match days, giving new Spurs stadium a really dramatic and colourful effect. It is all a part of making a visit to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium an experience to remember and thus attract other visitors.

The roof on the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium will begin very shortly, at the beginning of March suggests Chris, although this has been questioned in other quarters.

I'd recommend a visit to the website devoted to the build with live cameras you can watch and plenty of images to give a real understanding of what the new Spurs stadium will look like.

DANIEL LEVY - New Stadium Answers

The following is an exert from the account of the Tottenham Htspur Supporters Trust (THST) with Senior Executives and Directors of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. There is a link lower down where you find answers over a whole host of issues including an update on the progress of ancillary projects and infrastructure, including transport.

3. New stadium build and infrastructure
3.1 PH asked whether the stadium build was on schedule, noting that the roof was a little later than anticipated.
DL explained that the compression ring had been completed last weekend and the roof lift was scheduled to be completed in the next fortnight. Bad weather and high winds had caused the minor delay.
DL said the build was incredibly complex and it was impossible to give an exact date as to when the stadium would be completed. However, everyone is working towards being in the new stadium next season and would be extremely disappointed were this not the case.
Once the roof has been completed, there’s still a significant amount of technical work to do.

3.2 PH asked for contingency plans for any over run.
DL said that although a contingency plan was in place everyone was 100% focused on achieving the budgeted timescale. Certainly no talks had been held with Wembley over extending their residency and that there was no intention of activating any extension clause unless it was absolutely necessary.
DL stated he was confident, as far as was possible, that they would hit the build deadline.
Season ticket sales would open in the next few weeks.
DL thought it was likely they would request to play the first few matches of the 2018-19 season away from home. This had always been the case.

3.3 DL confirmed there was no possibility of opening the stadium at a reduced capacity.
SF reassured that any rumours to the contrary on social media had been clarified and corrected.

Now over on Skyscraper City where the nerds love to talk construction, I spotted an idea we could embellish upon.

BillericaySpurs (Billericay is a place in Essex for those who don't know) jests he would love to see a Batman style searchlight flitting above the stadium.

I immediately think it could light up the night sky with an image of Moussa 'The Beast' Dembele when he was honing in on an opponent, or of Harry Kane when he scores another goal. Folk could hear the cheer and children could look out of their windows to see who scored.

Those children would all turn into our next generation of supporters and the Gooners support would diminish. Long term planning, come on Daniel, put it in place.

Harry Kane, the Caped Crusader, I can see it now. Another merchandising revenue stream with his own weekly comic strip for the kids. In fact that's not a bad idea, why don't Spurs have their own comic with club news aimed at the children,no reason all players can't feature in it and it's another weekly revenue stream I'm sure would be popular.

STADIUM TALK

Grab yourself a cup of coffee as there are six chapters:
Mapping The Pipeline
Phasing For Revenue
Funding And Land
Technical Challenges
Importing And Exporting
A Bright Future

Once you have finished that reading it is time for a short video from Sky Sports entitled Spurs New Stadium Latest. This includes images from the Sky Sports helicopter and offers another perspective to the official pictures released by Tottenham Hotspur, often through the official Twitter account.

Euro News have their own aerial video which you can see below. The aerial views from a helicopter were taken on Tuesday (May 30) and show mechanical diggers churning up the old stadium's pitch and demolition of old stands beginning.

The innovative new stadium is being constructed that will enable Spurs to offer the NFL a purpose-built ground in London. The NFL pitch will be permanent with the Premier League pitch above it. The turf pitch will be retractable, sliding away in three sections to be parked underneath the stands during an NFL game.

Wednesday, 19 April 2017

STADIUM TALK

Architect's drawing of Sputs stadium 1934

There has been a small planning amendment for the new stadium being built around our beloved ground at the moment which would increase the capacity to 61,599. The amendments are for changes to Level 8 to serve the Sky lounges and to increase the height of the internal roof ring. These were submitted on 07 April and are due for consultation on 02 May.

The stadium does seem to have risen at a rapid rate throughout the season after not being above the ground a year ago. It would be nice to know if Haringey are up to date with their end of the bargain and have the surrounding infrastructure in place for our opening.

Was the months delay in announcing Wembley to put pressure on the council, there isn't any hope of the stadium being ready and it could delay works if we remained at White Hart Lane another season. The old stadium has to go so hanging onto it for sentimental reason for a season isn't a good idea.

Thursday, 13 April 2017

SPURS TALK

Arsenal have been dropped from a live TV game by Sky and have replaced the Arsenal versus Leicester City game on 26 April with Crystal Palace versus Tottenham Hotspur on the same evening.

The change suggests that Sky now feel that Tottenham Hotspur will attract more viewers for their TV ratings and advertisers. it is further evidence that Tottenham are now the number one team in North London, as if there was any doubt.

STADIUM TALK

In other news, Hotspur Spectator has posted a piece about the Northumberland Development Project entitled NDP - Public Grant/Subsidy. It is the response from Haringey Council to a Freedom of Information Request made by Hilary Adams on 29 March.

She was asking for details of all the payments Haringey Council had paid to Tottenham Hotspur since the date planning permission was given in 2012. Hotspur Spectator provides several links to the documents that relate to the answer.

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

NEW STADIUM TALK

An animated look at the construction of the new stadium as the old White Hart lane is torn down taken from the "Digital Construction Showreel" by Solius Group. This is a private video so instead of showing it here, I'll post a link and you can view it yourself on YouTube.

The building of the new stadium is one of the largest construction projects in London at the moment and when the old stadium is knocked down, one of the largest public scaffold staircases ever built in the UK will b constructed.

GKR Scaffolding are providing contractor Mace with the scaffolding elements and we have seen many pictures from their Spurs supporting director Lee Rowswell on Twitter.

They are due to erect a huge birdcage scaffold inside the new concrete bowl in preparation for the roof to be installed. This will use a compression ring system, similar to that seen recently at Atletico Madrid’s new stadium.

Monday, 6 March 2017

STADIUM TALK

It would seem that every major project that is quoted never actually costs what it was originally supposed to. Market prices fluctuate for raw materials, shortages cause price increases and delays simply add to costs, as do amendments to an original design.

It is no surprise that stadium costs have doubled, indeed it was expected costs would be far higher than the original estimate by the normal rank and file Spurs fan. The stadium has changed somewhat since the original idea with the idea of a dedicated NFL pitch and stadium requirements incorporated into the design, like a changing room for a staff of 50. Hence we will be having two sets of changing facilities and two separate tunnels, one either side of the playing surface for each sport.

Each home game is a countdown to the day White Hart Lane will be torn down and the growing new stadium completed in its place. At least that was what we have all assumed with Daniel Levy and the board not having to make a final decision on Wembley until the end of the month.

It has been suggested that that decision will depend upon the result of Brent Borough Council deciding that Wembley can be used at full capacity for extra events, in other words for the entire football season.

As any major organisation would do the club have plans for various eventualities, such as Wembley not being granted permission to use the extra capacity and it seems some are perhaps reading too much into Daniel Levy's answer to a specific question from the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust.

If anything it could be called a gentle reminder to Brent Council that Spurs have alternatives to Wenbley and a nudge to make the right decision, right in the eyes of Spurs that is.

Sunday, 22 January 2017

We are having built a brilliant new stadium and Chelsea put forward an eyesore for theirs Mousa Dembele tweeted the other day that he couldn't wait to play in the new stadium and I should think there are a few more players like that. Such remarks suggest he won't be going anywhere in a hurry and that the new stadium is a pull for the players too.

Spurs have until the end of March to tell the FA they want to play Premier League games at Wembley next season. The latest word is that we will be taking up that option so we have to make the most of our acclimatisation period this season, now in the UEFA Europa League. Of course, it would help if we won the FA Cup too!

STADIUM TALK

You can certainly start to see the scale of the new stadium, now ha several floors are in place.

Our transfer strategy is to buy young players who will increase in value. All players generally move on so we look to make a profit on the purchase to sale price.

It seems hat Daniel Levy has made some signings who fall into his bracket, seven in fact, the cranes being used for the construction of the stadium. Spurs didn't hire the cranes, we bought them outright for £6.09 million, £870,000 each.

Now there is a shortage of these big construction cranes and there are none available for hire. Obviously when they are hired it can be for lengthy periods so the situation isn't going to ease anytime soon.

With steel prices trebling in the last year, the Sun tell us, and expected to continue to rise, it is believed that Daniel Levy will make £500,000 profit selling each of these lifters, that's £3.5 million profit.

Sunday, 8 January 2017

STADIUM TALK

The last I heard was via stories from several builders and people the construction workers had come into contact with, that the new stadium was 6 weeks ahead of schedule. The recent news on LinkedIn from Gary Taylor, Director at BritishSportsMuseum.com that the project is now 3 months ahead of schedule is perhaps not as far fetched as the claim Spurs could be in the new ground next season would suggest.

His claim that Spurs have a secret plan to get into the new stadium next season isn't as daft as some sections make out, if fact it makes perfect sense. Just as a club tries to win the Premier League why can't they try to win a construction race? It may not be feasible, but unless you are going to cut on quality there is no harm in trying is there.

The winter has been very mild and workers have therefore been able to crack on, weather was always going o be a worry for the construction schedule. Is this possible though? Only construction people could tell me that,. I don't know the first thing about construction and what is possible.

It was revealed recently that we have not yet signed the contracts with Wembley for ext season, we have an agreement, but are waiting until the last possible moment before we have to commit, presumably to see how the new stadium is doing. I hear the mechanisms to change the playing surfaces works without a hitch.

It is an interesting point that the marketing department have not started selling hospitality packages at Wembley to executive members, but then we can't if we haven't officially signed a contract so there must be a reason for the delay, especially as the same hospitality packages for this season were being sold last November.

he adds weight to his theory suggesting when he talked to Spurs staff he could the news that the hierarchy use the term 'if we go to Wembley' not 'when we go to Wembley'. If that is accurate then it is a clear indication that we are trying to finish the stadium well ahead of schedule. I have never understood why building takes so long, it doesn't seem to abroad.

I doubt it will happen myself. Those claiming Daniel levy wouldn't want to miss out on agrand opening miss the point that you can have an official grand opening at any time, you simply promote the completion of a project, not really a marketing problem at all.

Tottenham fans should be welcoming the recent new legislation from the Premier League especially as it doesn't affect away supporters seating at our new stadium but will benefit our away fans at grounds like Newcastle United where we are sent up to a far corner out of the way.

The new ruling means that clubs must now provide some pitch-side seating for away fans and our new stadium complies as you can see from the images below. The red area is the proposed away fans seating area.

At least one block of away fans must be situated pitch-side the Premier League clubs agreed in November. Richard Scudamore, the Premier League Executive Chairman explained to the press.

"Basically you won't be able to be stuck up in the third tier, out in the corner, if you're an away fan. "Pitch-side is the easiest way of describing it but clearly some ground configurations (mean) there might be some gap between where the seats actually are, and there might be something else in between that and the pitch.

"It's about atmosphere. One of the unique things about our game, particularly in England, is the amount of away fans and the noise they create. When an away goal is scored, you want that atmosphere and interaction between the two sets of fans.

"The fans are an integral part of the Premier League. Their passion, commitment and support are valued enormously by the players, clubs and the League."

I have often commented on our away supporters who are wonderfully vocal and can be heard at all away games. Their support, even when we have been losing, is phenomenal. Placing them pitch-side will push them nearer the microphones that pick up the atmosphere so it is quite possible that we might be hearing even more from them in the future.

Wednesday, 21 December 2016

STADIUM TALK

Tottenham Hotspur and Nike concept shirt

I was thinking about the comments of Coco Hughes that I reproduced as two articles and the reply from Martyn Giles in the context of Nike being our shirt sponsors and probably our stadium sponsors too.

A worldwide brand gives us access to markets worldwide to expand the Tottenham Hotspur name and it does need expanding as we have a way to go yet before we can compete on level terms with the richer clubs ahead of us.

You only have to look at the kit deals Nike have struck with ourselves and Chelsea to see the difference and the 2014 Manchester United Adidas kit deal.

Manchester United - Adidas £75 million a seasonChelsea - Nike £60 million a seasonTottenham Hotspur - Nile £25 million a season

Qualifying for the UEFA Champions League once, getting into the top four once, isn't enough to bridge the financial gap that keeps us having yo punch above pour weight. If you take into account Chelsea have a £10 million a year deal for training kit and a £40 million a year shirt sponsorship deal, we still have a long way to go before we are a competitive commercial force and that that money can then be used for the furtherance of the playing staff.

Nike have been a constant name when discussing naming rights and their marketing expertise can only benefit the Tottenham Hotspur brand as we soon begin our NFL journey and link to the growing USA market.

STADIUM TALK

I rather like the photography in this first picture, a derelict building against a dark sky. You can see larger versions of these at Skyscraper City, the construction forum covering a multitude of building projects around the world.

I member of the Skyscraper City forum reports that a local landlady (no pub name mentioned) reports the construction work is 6 weeks ahead of schedule, the information coming from construction workers drinking in her pub of course. There seems no reason to doubt that and it is good news if that is the case.

The weather was always going to play an important part in the construction and we have been hoping for a dry winter, which thus far, by and large, we have had.

Another member says they have spoken to their wife's cousin, who is working on the project as an engineer for MACE, and they confirm the main stand work is weeks ahead of schedule. However the architect had designed the MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) incorrectly and that it needs redesigning completely. he also said that the retractable pitch did work.

STADIUM TALK

The second part of Coco Hughes comments on a previous post and his take on the Spurs NFL Under Armour Nike situation.

200 million people are signed up to UA apps. They may only be a sixth of the size of Nike at this moment but are growing at such a speed that a stadium tie up would be immense for them and us. They are freely acquiring data that we give them, and using this to improve athletes. 200m people uploading foods, workouts, and much more.

They turn over 5 billion US dollars a year and have not scratched the surface outside the US. They will grow faster than any company in recent history. Over 20% growth YOY (year-on-year) for over 26 quarters. We may well go with Nike, solely because they pay more money, although I hope not.

Yes money is needed, but so is a proper strategy and future proof business. Being a Yid has always meant being an underdog, and I really hope we stick with UA, as I truly believe in the long run, they will be the best partner, due to the technology the are using, and the future they have. Check out the Lighthouse, and some of the stuff they are doing.

I believe that this company will change the world we live in, and I want Spurs to be one of the catalysts of that. As the world is changing, UA are changing with it. they are trying to go local for local in every country that they sell in. Made and sold in that country. They have changed 100-year-old manufacturing processes and brought them up to date.

They are looking at everything possible to improve athletes and stay in the boundaries of a decent company with morals and principles. Nike etc, has the old, if it ain't broke don't fix it philosophy. That means cheap labour, far east production. Kaizen is the word.

As you know, there is no possible way we would have gone to this expense for 2 games a season for a few years. 2021 equals franchise time. We need to get through best we can until then. The team and manager is signed, Wembley will be very hard, then the NDP, then the money Stateside will come in.

Still a few years away from where we want to be, but certainly going in the right direction. But hey, like most Spurs fans, let's blame Danial Levy for losing a game because he didn't buy Messi. I really find it hard to fathom how fans (not supporters) slag him off. Unfortunately too many people live in the minute and find it very difficult to see the future.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is the NDP. But when it comes, and is settled, and the franchise comes in, we will blow the competition away. Sugar daddies are gone, everyone has money now from this year. We are just gonna have serious bucketloads once the tie-in kicks.

Globalisation is happening fast. We can watch any sport anytime anywhere. And Spurs are already the biggest club in the States. Brad our US ambassador, something no other club has. It is these little details that make me believe that the future is already resolved, and the rest is just going through the motions. We will see. Thats my view on it all anyway.
Over 200 Spurs articles available at Tottenham Hotspur News

STADIUM TALK

Reader Coco Hughes left a couple of comments on a previous article about the NFL Spurs tie-up so given the effort he has put into them I'll bring them to your attention. He is a big Under Armour fan.

The ground was always in conjunction with the NFL. Search Mark Waller. Check his interviews. Read through all you can find. You stated in one article on this site that he is a Spurs fan, but that it will not help us at all. That I believe is incorrect.

Mark Waller got the job at the NFL because of his links to Daniel and Spurs. The NFL were never going anywhere except London. London is Britain in the US. Daniel Levy has pulled off the biggest masterstroke in the Premier league. read all the interviews with Waller, then read between the lines.

The reason the ground took this long, was because the NFL tie up was always there from the very start. Due diligence had to be done. For instance, the interview with Waller, where he says we would have to play back to back games for a franchise etc, that interview was 2014, in 2015 they done back to back games at Wembley.

Olympic stadium was poker. Daniel knew that we would never get it, but also knew how corrupt it was. Throw a million pound at some drawings and barristers etc, kick up a fuss about West Ham are getting nearly a billion of taxpayers money, while Tottenham burns, and grab 50 million from local and central government. 50/1 shot. Paid off handsomely. we were never moving in a million years, but once again slag Levy. He grabbed us 49 million for free, and still he is an arsehole somehow.

Waller got the head of international development, international marketing etc, (or VP or whatever) because he already had an in at Spurs, was a top businessman internationally, a proper Yid, knew Daniel personally and that we needed a new ground. Let's just say, Mark Waller did not sit in the Park Lane, West Stand, and Hi Danny, how's it going.

The NFL wanted a London Franchise, to go Global, Waller gets the job in 2006, with a 15-year plan to get a Franchise in London!!! And lo and behold, The Wembley and Twickenham deals end, 2019 and 2020 respectively, leaving Spurs with a dedicated NFL stadium, and no competitors. Another miraculous coincidence???

If anyone thinks that is coincidence, they gotta be crazy. and all the rest has been done in conjunction with the NFL and Wallers 15 year timeline. Check when he started his job, what his remit was, then check all the dates, and read his interviews. Anyone thinking this is a recent thing in the last couple of years may think again once they read a few interviews with Waller, and the history involved.

The ground took this long because it had to take this long, to prepare for both sports. Waller is a proper Yid, as you stated he came out and said the Yanks don't get it, they don't understand the passion, I love Tottenham and I hate Arsenal. This play was made in 2006 as it benefitted everyone. Yes, been a long time coming, but it is going to be well worth it.

I still do not believe Levy would agree a £50 million Nike deal for shirts and stadium naming rights at this stage. Way too cheap in my opinion, and way too early. I think the tie-up will be worth far more than that. Although the rumour the Nike deal is done it never seems to be ratified anywhere. I would stick with UA.

They are the future. They can easily afford it and are by far the better partner for Spurs going forward. They are the underdog, and their ethos is much better suited to Spurs. Nike are making self-tying shoes, UA are releasing shoes that have a jump test, then tell you how hard to run today, how far you go. UA are athlete focused, Nike are more of a fashion brand now.

UA will change the world we live in. People in the Uk think they are a small time outfit, but nothing could be further from the truth. Every generation has its brands and UA are the future. The fact we are the first generation to pay to stay healthy tells a story.
Over 200 Spurs articles available at Tottenham Hotspur News

Wednesday, 7 December 2016

The new stadium is taking shape and the TV cameras have a look at it each time they are at the ground. On Saturday they focused in on the seating we are trialling, with further trials to come from different manufacturers. As I understand it we have agreed with a manufacturer for one colour of seat and are still deciding fir the other colour. The new stadium will house both navy blue and white seats.

A prediction of what White Hart Lane will look like by the last game of the season. #THFC#COYS

On Skyscraper City some are suggesting that the construction worker come and take a round of applause from the fans at the Manchester United game as a gesture of our appreciation. The idea has some merit and would be a good PR exercise in addition. Marketing is all about keeping the club in the news, hence the staggered contract signing announcements.

Fans showing their appreciation to construction workers is news and the media would undoubtedly report it, which would show the Tottenham brand in a good light around the world. You associate Japanese culture with politeness and many parts of Asia too. Who knows, such a gesture shows us in a good light and may help to secure future sponsorship deals. There are plenty of plusses and few minuses, go for it Mr Levy.